2003 Mini Cooper S (R53)

[Peter C]

I think I might have an engine oil leak.



I drove the Cooper during the week and amongst many rattles and squeaks, the gear stick was squeaking when changing into 1st and 2nd gears. The gaiter comes off easily to enable access to the base of the gear stick. I sprayed some 3 in 1 oil, let's see if that helps with the noise.



And the squeaking steering has come back to play. Research on the internet revealed that the strut top mounts might be the cause of the squeaks. I've given both strut tops a squirt of 3 in 1 oil, let's see if it helps. The good news is that the strut top mounts are all solid, with no evidence of any cracks.

[Peter C]

I drove the Cooper to London and back yesterday evening, no more squeaky steering and gear shift. Win.

Today I removed the non-functioning rear wiper and fitted a delete pad. The plastic rear wiper is one of very few design details that I don’t like about R50s. The rear end looks better and cleaner without the wiper.

[Peter C]

I took the Cooper to Ace Cafe tonight. It was very quiet, I stayed long enough to drink a cup of tea and take some photos.

[delboy1984]

What was causing the oil leak mate? My R55 1.6D has been horrible for oil leaks,changed the rocker cover and added some leak seal which has worked for a while but it has now started again
I know yours has a different engine but would be interested to know
Cheers Del

[Peter C]

Sept 24, 2021 22:24:54 GMT delboy1984 said:

What was causing the oil leak mate? My R55 1.6D has been horrible for oil leaks,changed the rocker cover and added some leak seal which has worked for a while but it has now started again
I know yours has a different engine but would be interested to know
Cheers Del

I’m pretty sure that mine is leaking from the oil filter housing gasket, which is allowing oil to drip onto the exhaust downpipe. It’s a fiddly exhaust manifold off job, which I keep putting off.

[Peter C]

The Cooper didn't start this morning. I got it all ready for a 100ish mile work related trip, I turned the key and got just a few clicks from the starter motor. I pushed the Cooper back in the garage and took my boring Kia to work.

When I got home, I dug out my old jump leads and hooked them up between the Kia and the Cooper.



No good, it wouldn't start, just a clicky starter motor.

I hooked up my (quite decent) battery charger for a couple of hours.



And hey presto, it fired straightaway.

What is odd, I left the Cooper in the garage for a fortnight whilst I was on holiday, upon my return it started first time. A few days later, it started ok again, I took it for a brief drive and put it back in the garage. Six days later, today, it wouldn't start. Knackered battery me thinks. Let's see if it starts tomorrow.

[Peter C]

I was involved in a RTA and my daily Kia Exceed has been taken away for repairs.

I picked up my W124 from my mechanic yesterday after it had a new clutch master cylinder fitted. Unfortunately, the brake light switch has been put back incorrectly and the brake lights are constantly on. No good.

My W123 doesn’t go out in the rain.

As of yesterday, until my loan car arrives (hopefully by Monday), I’ve been using my Cooper daily for work duties.

My surveying kit would fit better if the sub-woofer wasn't there.



I've been to a few sites in Reading and around Buckinghamshire and so far so good. The starting problem seems to have fixed itself and the little Cooper still manages to put a smile on my face.





Let's see how it gets on next week.

[Peter C]

The courtesy car provided by the garage that is repairing my Kia has arrived and it's not good news.



On Monday morning, I took my 200E to Pangbourne and back for a work appointment, no problems to report.

On Monday afternoon and again this morning I've been out in the Cooper and I'm loving every minute of it. It's sooo much fun, even when stuck in M25 traffic and so pretty, even when parked in some dodgy places.

[Peter C]

I've been using the Cooper every day since my Kia Exceed was taken away for repairs last week. I've been loving every minute of it and nothing has gone wrong.

Yesterday, to my surprise, my Kia was delivered, all fixed. It's looking fresh and clean and the repairs have been completed to a good standard.

So, this morning, I jumped straight in the Cooper and went off to work. I bloody love it!

[cliveyp]

Jul 24, 2021 15:40:26 GMT Peter C said:

The Cooper's interior is fairly tidy but the driver's seat bolster was very worn.



I bought a bottle of dark grey leather dye from Amazon for less than £8.

Apologies for pulling back an older post for quote, but is the dye you used still holding up OK? Is it this one;

www.amazon.co.uk/Paint-Leather-Sponge-Kaps-Colours/dp/B00KM2Z7ZE/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=kaps%2Bleather%2Bdye&qid=1635951742&sr=8-1-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE3UFRaWTJCVEVDMFQmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2NjcwNTExQTJTWFFINlNRVzZMJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA4MzcyMDEzVldCNVlUUVU4RVdZJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

I need to give my rear bench a refresh as it was originally cream/light grey and appears to have been dyed badly to match the fronts, and the fronts themselves are starting to look a little tired. How far did one bottle go too?

Thanks for your help!

[Peter C]

Nov 3, 2021 15:06:46 GMT cliveyp said:

Jul 24, 2021 15:40:26 GMT Peter C said:

The Cooper's interior is fairly tidy but the driver's seat bolster was very worn.



I bought a bottle of dark grey leather dye from Amazon for less than £8.

Apologies for pulling back an older post for quote, but is the dye you used still holding up OK? Is it this one;

www.amazon.co.uk/Paint-Leather-Sponge-Kaps-Colours/dp/B00KM2Z7ZE/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=kaps%2Bleather%2Bdye&qid=1635951742&sr=8-1-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE3UFRaWTJCVEVDMFQmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2NjcwNTExQTJTWFFINlNRVzZMJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA4MzcyMDEzVldCNVlUUVU4RVdZJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

I need to give my rear bench a refresh as it was originally cream/light grey and appears to have been dyed badly to match the fronts, and the fronts themselves are starting to look a little tired. How far did one bottle go too?

Thanks for your help!

I had to re-do a small patch where my trouser belt scratched the dye but otherwise the seats still look great.

I definitely recommend this product, it’s cheap, easy to apply and it lasts ok.

Good luck with yours!

[Peter C]

At some point in the past, a previous owner had painted the dashboard panels black. The finish is ok but the effect makes the interior look very austere.



Another forum member recently removed chrome* (plastic) rings from the dials and centre vents that were fitted to a Mini that he recently acquired and offered them for the cost of p&p. I thought that fitting these rings might be a quick and cheap way of blinging up my dashboard.

Fitting took about 30 seconds, the rings just push on.





Usually, when it comes to modifying cars, I believe that less is more but I like the contrast that the rings have added.

Win or no win?

[Alpina99]

Win,
Definitely,
Nigel

[tubthumper]

Win +1

[logicaluk]

I've just spent a couple of hours behind the wheel of my son's R56 cooper, I really enjoyed the drive, except for the appalling clutch slip, the car has 107k miles on it and a ridiculously high clutch pedal, but I have heard the high pedal was normal for these cars.
Looks like another job for super dad.
Dan

[doa]

Loving this thread, your car looks ace. Just swapped a swift for a 2003 mini cooper s, I have a similar oily smell under bonnet which I must investigate and clean.

[welshpug]

every r53 I've been under has been very oily, rocker cover seal goes hard on these and leaks onto the exhaust.

[doa]

I think the previous owner did the rocker cover seals so hoping its just residue that hasn’t been cleaned off. Will check the oil level now I have done a few miles in it and see if there is any wetness underneath, when I looked under the bonnet on the day I bought it it was very clean so fingers crossed its still the same.

Anthracite wheels look lovely on this op.

[Peter C]

Thank you for the positive feedback.

First time this week the weather was warm enough to allow tinkering with cars.

I removed the nearside door trim (very easy) to see what could be causing a rattle that’s been annoying me all week. All I found was a couple of loose clips and to my surprise, standard speakers. The ICE sounded great before I fitted my amp and sub and I was convinced that the speakers must have been upgraded by a previous owner.



I’ve clocked up about 500 miles since the last time I washed the Cooper, most of them in bad weather. I gave it a deep clean and put it back in the garage as I won’t be using it again before next weekend.







I can’t get over how pretty an R53 is. For a car that is approaching its 20th birthday (R50s are already two decades old) it still looks fresh. Rover/BMW got the design so right.

[Peter C]

Nov 6, 2021 9:38:06 GMT doa said:

Loving this thread, your car looks ace. Just swapped a swift for a 2003 mini cooper s, I have a similar oily smell under bonnet which I must investigate and clean.

Got a link to your thread?

Oddly enough, despite having ongoing issues with engine oil leaks, the smells that I was experiencing a few months ago have cleared. Even with the heater on, whilst stationary and the ventilation system set to suck in fresh air (not recirculate) I’m not smelling anything oily.